How to Record Audio in Audacity: Step-by-Step Guide

Audacity is free, cross-platform, and capable of producing broadcast-quality audio, but the setup process trips up a lot of first-time users before they ever hit Record. This guide walks through every step of the workflow, from connecting a microphone to exporting your finished file. Throughout, the Hollyland LARK MAX 2 is used as the demonstration microphone, so every hardware-facing step maps to a real device with real controls.

What You Need Before You Start

Prerequisites:

• Audacity installed on a Windows or macOS computer (version 3.x recommended) 

• A USB-capable microphone or wireless mic receiver connected to the computer 

• A USB-C cable and a data-capable USB-C port on your machine

This guide uses the Hollyland LARK MAX 2 as its demonstration microphone. The LARK MAX 2 is a wireless clip-on system consisting of two units. A transmitter worn by the speaker and a receiver connected to the computer. The receiver plugs in via USB-C, requires no driver installation, and registers automatically as a USB audio class-compliant device. It outputs natively at 48 kHz / 32-bit Float, includes AI Noise Cancellation, and supports OWS wireless earphone monitoring, all of which integrate directly with the steps below.

How to Connect the Hollyland LARK MAX 2 to Your Computer

Before opening Audacity, confirm that the receiver is recognized by your operating system. If the OS cannot see the microphone, Audacity will not see it either.

1. Power on the receiver. Press and hold the power button on the Camera receiver unit until the LED display activates. 

2. Power on the transmitter. Press and hold the power button on the clip-on transmitter. Its LED flashes while it searches for the receiver.

3. Confirm pairing. Once the transmitter and receiver establish a wireless link, the transmitter indicator will turn solid blue. The Camera RX unit will display the connected mic and the signal strength. 

4. Connect the receiver to your computer. Plug the USB-C cable into the receiver and into an available USB-C port on your laptop or desktop. Use a data-capable port. Some ultrabook USB-C ports are charge-only and will not pass audio data.

5. Verify device recognition on Windows. Open Settings > System > Sound > Input. 

The LARK MAX 2 receiver should appear as an active input device.

6. Verify device recognition on macOS. Open System Settings > Sound > Input. 

The LARK MAX 2 receiver should appear in the input device list.

Note: The LARK MAX 2 receiver is USB audio class-compliant, which means Windows and macOS recognize it automatically with no driver installation required. If the device does not appear, try a different USB-C cable or a different port before troubleshooting inside Audacity.

The LARK MAX 2’s AI Noise Cancellation operates at the hardware level inside the transmitter. No Audacity setting is needed to activate it; it runs continuously during transmission.

How to Select Your Microphone Input in Audacity

Once the OS confirms the device is recognized, open Audacity and assign the LARK MAX 2 as the recording input.

1. Open Audacity. If you connected the receiver before launching Audacity, the device should appear in the input list automatically.

2. Locate the Audio Setup button (Audacity 3.x) or Device Toolbar (Audacity 2.x). In Audacity 3.x, click the Audio Setup button in the upper toolbar. 

In older versions, find the Device Toolbar, which displays a row of dropdowns including Host, Recording Device, and Playback Device.

3. Open the Recording Device dropdown to expand the list of available devices.

4. Select the LARK MAX 2. Look for the OS-assigned name, typically displayed as “Hollyland LARK MAX 2” or a similar USB audio designation. Click it to set it as the active recording input.

5. Use Preferences as a fallback if the toolbar is hidden. Go to Edit > Preferences > Audio Settings > Recording > Device field (Windows/Linux) or Audacity > Preferences > Audio Settings > Recording > Device field (macOS). The Recording Device field here mirrors the Device Toolbar selection.

Pro Tip: If you plugged in the receiver after Audacity was already open, the device may not appear in the dropdown at all. Go to Transport > Rescan Audio Devices to force Audacity to refresh its device list. This is the standard fix for hot-plugging any USB audio device into a running Audacity session.

Configure Audacity’s Recording Settings

Matching Audacity’s quality settings to the LARK MAX 2’s native output ensures that audio is captured with no resampling artifacts or dynamic range loss.

1. Open quality settings. In Audacity 3.x, go to Audio Setup > Audio Settings > Quality. 

In older versions, go to Edit > Preferences > Audio Settings > Quality.

2. Set the Project Sample Rate to 48000 Hz. This matches the LARK MAX 2’s native 48 kHz output. A mismatched sample rate forces Audacity to resample on the fly, and an incorrectly configured host rate can cause audio to play back at the wrong pitch or speed.

3. Set the Recording Format to 32-bit float. This matches the LARK MAX 2’s 32-bit Float output and preserves the full dynamic range of the signal with no quantization penalty.

4. Set Recording Channels to 1 (Mono). For single-speaker voice recording, mono is correct. Stereo doubles the file size with no practical benefit for narration or podcast audio.

Note: The LARK MAX 2 also features 32-bit Float Internal Recording, which stores a continuous backup copy of the audio on the transmitter itself. This backup is independent of the Audacity recording and requires no Audacity configuration. If software fails mid-session, the transmitter’s internal copy remains intact.

How to Set Input Levels and Monitor Your Audio

A clean, well-calibrated signal level is the difference between professional audio and a recording you cannot use. Always set levels before pressing Record.

1. Click the microphone icon(Record Meter) at the top of the workspace. Click on the Enable Silent Monitoring option, and speak into the mic to check the levels.

2. Speak into the transmitter at your intended recording volume. Watch the input level meter at the top of the Audacity window respond in real time.

3. Target a peak level between -12 dB and -6 dB. This range provides enough headroom to absorb loud moments without distortion. The meter should stay in the green-to-yellow zone and never touch 0 dB (the red zone indicates clipping).

4. Adjust transmitter gain if the signal is too low. Press the menu button on the LARK MAX 2 Camera receiver. 

Cycle through the menu and select Mic Gain to adjust the gain level.

Raising gain at the receiver is preferred over raising Audacity’s software input slider because gain applied at the source is inherently cleaner.

5. Reduce transmitter gain if the signal is clipping. If the meter consistently hits the red zone above -3 dB, lower the transmitter gain first. If clipping persists after that adjustment, reduce Audacity’s input level slider as a secondary correction.

Monitoring options:

• Hardware monitoring (recommended): Connect the OWS wireless earphones by activating the option from the LARK MAX 2’s receiver menu.

 The earphones deliver low-latency monitoring directly from the receiver hardware, so you hear yourself in real time with no processing delay.

• Software playthrough: Go to Transport > Transport Options > Enable audible input monitoring. This routes the microphone signal through Audacity and back to your headphones but introduces a noticeable latency delay that can disrupt delivery. Use this option only when hardware monitoring is unavailable.

Pro Tip: Software playthrough latency typically runs between 20 ms and 100 ms, which is enough to make speakers stumble over their own words. Use hardware monitoring via the LARK MAX 2 OWS earphones for any live recording session.

How to Start, Pause, and Stop Recording in Audacity

With the device selected, settings configured, and levels checked, you are ready to record.

1. Click the red Record button or press R. Audacity creates a new waveform track automatically and displays the incoming audio as a live waveform.

2. Monitor the waveform while recording. A healthy waveform shows clear, varied peaks and troughs. A completely flat line means no signal is reaching Audacity. A waveform that clips against the top and bottom boundaries of the track means the level is too high.

3. Pause if you need a break without ending the session. Click the Pause button or press P. Audacity holds the cursor position in place. Press Pause or P again to resume recording from that same point.

4. Use the transmitter mute button for silent intervals. If you need to stop speaking but want to keep the Audacity session running, press the mute button on the LARK MAX 2 transmitter. When the mute function is active, the indicator light will turn red. The waveform in Audacity will show a near-flat region for that interval, which is straightforward to trim in editing later.

Stop the recording by clicking the Stop button or pressing the spacebar. Audacity ends the recording and returns the cursor to the start of the track.

Append a new segment to an existing track by pressing Shift+R. Audacity adds audio to the end of the current track rather than creating a separate one, which keeps multi-take sessions organized.

Keyboard shortcut reference:

• R — Start recording (new track) 

• P — Pause / Resume 

• Spacebar — Stop recording 

• Shift+R — Append recording to existing track

Save and Export Your Audacity Recording

Saving and exporting are two separate actions in Audacity. Confusing them is one of the most common mistakes new users make.

1. Save the Audacity project via File > Save Project. This creates an .aup3 file that stores your tracks, edits, and settings for future work inside Audacity. An .aup3 file is not a playable audio file and cannot be opened by media players or podcast platforms.

2. Export playable audio via File > Export Audio. This renders your recording into a standard audio format that any application can open.

3. Choose an export format based on your intended use.

4. Fill in the details, such as File Name and folder location.

5. Choose the Format from the dropdown menu, and confirm other Audio options (if needed).

6. Click Export. Audacity renders the file to the location you specified.

Note: For most podcast and voice-over workflows, export to WAV first as your master archive, then export a second copy to MP3 for distribution. This preserves the original quality for any future edits.

Troubleshooting: Audacity Not Detecting Your Microphone

Problem: LARK MAX 2 does not appear in Audacity’s Recording Device dropdown

Fix: Go to Transport > Rescan Audio Devices. This forces Audacity to re-query the OS for connected audio hardware. Always try this before any other step when the input list looks incomplete after plugging in the receiver.

Problem: Device is selected in Audacity, but the input meter shows no signal

Fix: Check that Audacity has microphone permission at the OS level. On Windows, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and confirm Audacity is listed and toggled on. On macOS, go to System Settings > Privacy & Security > Microphone and confirm Audacity has a checkmark.

Problem: LARK MAX 2 receiver is not recognized by the OS at all

Fix: Try a different USB-C cable. Confirm you are using a data-capable port rather than a charge-only port, which is common on some ultrabooks. Also skip any USB hub and plug the receiver directly into the laptop to rule out hub compatibility issues.

Problem: Signal is present, but the recording level reads too weak

Fix: Increase the gain on the LARK MAX 2 receiver using the Mic Gain option and confirm the new level on the Audacity input meter before recording. Raise Audacity’s input level slider only if the transmitter gain is already at its maximum setting.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best sample rate for recording voice in Audacity?

For most voice recording workflows, 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz both produce clean results. If your microphone outputs natively at 48 kHz, as the LARK MAX 2 does, match Audacity to 48 kHz to avoid any resampling. Use 44.1 kHz only if your delivery specification requires it, such as for CD audio masters.

Can I record multiple tracks at the same time in Audacity?

Audacity supports multi-track recording, but the number of simultaneous inputs depends on your hardware. With one receiver, you can record multiple audio sources together. The Hollyland LARK MAX 2 supports four transmitters simultaneously. You can record dual-speaker or multi-speaker sessions with one receiver. No external audio interface with multiple inputs is needed. Everything connects directly through the wireless receiver. Conversely, you will need an audio interface to record multiple people if you are using XLR mics.

Why does my Audacity recording sound like it has an echo or reverb?

The most likely cause is that both hardware monitoring and Audacity’s software playthrough are active simultaneously, creating a delayed duplicate of your voice in your headphones. Disable software playthrough under Transport > Transport Options > Enable audible input monitoring and rely entirely on hardware monitoring through the LARK MAX 2 OWS wireless earphones.

Does Audacity record in 32-bit float?

Yes. In Audacity’s Quality settings, set the Recording Format to 32-bit float. The LARK MAX 2 also captures at 32-bit Float natively, so selecting this format means no quality conversion occurs at the recording stage. Audacity processes audio internally in 32-bit float regardless of your export format.

Can I record computer system audio and my microphone together in Audacity?

Yes, but unfortunately not on separate tracks at the exact same time. Audacity records from one input source during each session. You can still combine both sources before recording them. On Windows, VoiceMeeter can merge your mic and system audio together. On macOS, Audio MIDI Setup can create an Aggregate Device. You can combine your mic with a virtual driver like BlackHole. Then, select that combined source as Audacity's recording input.

Conclusion

At this point you have a connected microphone, calibrated input levels, a waveform recorded in Audacity, and an exported audio file ready to use. If background noise remains in the recording, Audacity’s built-in Noise Reduction effect is the logical next step. For interview or dual-speaker sessions, the multi-track recording workflow in Audacity extends everything covered here. The Hollyland LARK MAX 2’s native 48 kHz / 32-bit Float output makes it a reliable, driver-free input for any Audacity session where audio quality matters.